Wednesday night, the Padres announced they had avoided salary arbitration with infielder Brett Wallace by agreeing on a one-year contract for 2016. The deal is worth $1 million, according to a source.

Wallace, 29, was a pleasant surprise in 2015. Having joined the organization on a minor league deal, he opened the season in Triple-A and made a swift impact upon his June call-up. The left-handed hitter flourished in his first major league action in two years, hitting .302/.374/.521 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 107 plate appearances. He was one of the game's top pinch-hitters; over 50 plate appearances in that role, he hit .349/.440/.698 with four home runs and 12 RBIs.

Wallace will reprise his role off the bench next season, providing balance and power late in games.

While he played his way into a major league contract, the Padres non-tendered last season's opening-day third baseman, Will Middlebrooks, left-handed reliever Frank Garces and catcher Rocky Gale.

A former top prospect in Boston, Middlebrooks, 27, was acquired last winter in exchange for veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan. He arrived in San Diego with some fanfare, joining Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Derek Norris in an introductory press conference at Petco Park.

On the field, however, Middlebrook's 2015 proved to be another disappointment. He hit .212/.241/.361 with nine home runs in 270 plate appearances before he was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in July. He did not return to the big-league club, even as former utility man Yangervis Solarte enjoyed a strong second half starting at third base.

"Will has a ton of physical ability," Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said. "He came in and won the job in spring training, swung the bat well the first month, had some bad luck but some big hits also. But ultimately, the way Solarte and some of the other guys played, they kind of took the lead in terms of the position."

Middlebrooks was projected to make $1.5 million in his first arbitration-eligible year, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. Wallace had been projected at $1.1 million.

Preller said the Padres have interest in re-signing Middlebrooks and the other two non-tendered players to minor league deals.

Preller said the decisions to non-tender Garces and Gale, both not yet arbitration-eligible, were partly about creating flexibility on the Padres' 40-man roster.

Garces, 25, posted a 5.21 ERA in 40 relief appearances last season. Gale, 27, made his major league debut in September.